A Wolf Among Sheep
by Barrett M107
Summary: "They call me a wolf... a snake... a sheepdog, even. These are both nicknames, and fact. I prey, I sneak and I herd. These things are true." This is the story of Egret Landa and his crew, the Wolf Pirates. Their travels through the South Blue and the dangers they face. Accepting OCs.
1. On the Hunt

**Just when I say I won't do another SYOC, I'm pulled back in.**

**Not that I mind :) I love SYOCs. Contributing to them and making them! So, after some encouragement from a friend, The Amazing Blue Fox, and some recent events, I decided to that I wanted to move forward with this. I'm gonna try it out and try and see it through.**

**Cross your fingers and I hope you like the first chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter 1 ** \- On the Hunt.

_"They call me a wolf… A snake… A sheepdog… I prey, I sneak and I herd… These things are true about me. Three reasons to hate me."_ \- **Egret Landa.**

* * *

**September 13th. The Midnight Hours.**

The city of Damascus in the South Blue was a large, bustling place of both business and leisure. Large, towering buildings and quaint small houses and larger apartment buildings scattered all around. The central city was the busiest, while the outer layers of homes and small businesses presented the leisure. Being neighbors, it was a good mix. It was lively to say the least. At the very center was a massive coliseum, a dome made of large squares of metal. While it looked like an unstable monstrosity from the outside, it was the single, strongest piece of architecture in all of Damascus, capable of withstanding the chaos that went on inside year-round. Pirates and Marines alike went there to settle disputes, as the city's police force didn't tolerate that kind of destruction. If it wasn't a dispute, it was a full-blown war-like tournament held every year that Marines, Pirates and all came from wherever to participate in.

Falrow, one of its many bordering islands just a couple miles away from the coast, is where it all began. While it was one of Damascus' smallest bordering islands that wasn't all that appealing to the eye, it was famous for its many bars and the fact that it's one big red-light district. It made it quite the attraction for Pirates, Marines and normal civilians alike. A bit of shady business was nothing new - Drugs weren't hard to come by. If you were looking for a good time, in the form of booze, a party or a partner for the night, you didn't have to look far.

In the middle of the night, the town still didn't sleep. Neon signs made it as bright as day in the right areas, and far too bright to sleep even in the wrong ones. Scantily dressed women stood on the corners, smoking, bathed in the light of the neon signs that illuminated the streets and alleyways. Hoots and hollers filled the air, as did the smell of smoke, booze and drunken laughter.

Casually walking down the rather empty street were two that were more out of place than they appeared...

The taller of the two of them was Egret Landa, a man standing a little over 6 feet tall. He was dressed in a dark blue greatcoat that reached his knees with a high collar that reached the underside of his nose, left unbuttoned. Eight golden buttons stretched down the length of one side of his coat, half of which were buttoned over his chest. A thick black belt with a simple, silver square buckle was around his waist. His pants were black, and the ends were stuffed into his brown boots. A split went up the back of his coat to his waist and the lower half of his coat lightly fluttered around his legs in the light breeze passing through the streets. A dark blue flat top hat was on his head, his curly white hair peeking out from underneath along the sides and visible from the back, going down to the middle of his neck in the back.

His hands were stuffed into his pockets

Mai Rose, a girl of no more than seventeen, and significantly smaller in comparison to her male partner, standing at 5'3" with a petite body. Her greyish-blue hair short, stopping just above her eyes, long bangs framed her face and her hair fanned out in the back reaching the middle of her neck. A white hair band stretched over her head from one ear to the other and it had four vertical slits in it.

Her eyes were red like rubies and glowed under the neon light. as did her pale white skin. Her long-sleeved dress was a matching red and stretched to her knees, where her black boots began. A black scarf with short red tassels on the ends was wrapped around her neck and cover her shoulders.

In stark contrast, the object she carried on her back was almost twice her size and loosely wrapped in blue cloth, but well enough that it was completely hidden.

Mai took in the sights around them, completely lost in her own fascination with the many lights and all of the different people when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder that stopped her.

She turned to look up at her partner, and his tanned face was illuminated by the neon sign of the building he was looking at.

"We're here," Egret stated. He and Mai stopped outside one of Falrow's many bars. It was a two-floored building comprised mainly of wood. It was simple-looking, rustic with wooden swinging doors for its entrance. He straightened his coat and then grabbed his shorter companion by her shoulder and led her off to the side. He took the wrapped object off of her back and leaned it against the building immediately to the bar's right, the wood creaking under the weight, and he sat her down.

"Now," Egret said, crouching down a bit so that he could look her in her ruby red eyes, "What are you going to do?"

"Sit here. Wait. If you have not emerged after twenty minutes, I am to enter the establishment. If you are nowhere within my immediate line of sight, I am to search for you. If you have not been found within a twenty-four hour period, I am to assume that your status is deceased and I am to report this after forty-eight hours after your disappearance so to give you ample time to reemerge should you still be active."

She was quick to reply, every word was in her same monotone and he nodded along. It was exactly what he had told her to do, word for word, though she said it a bit more intelligently.

"Perfect," He said walking past her. Just as he placed his hand on the thin gap between the double doors he paused and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "…" He said nothing. Mai sat there looking straight ahead, her hands folded in her lap. She hadn't blinked once or even acknowledged him during the ten seconds he stood there.

Egret entered the bar.

* * *

The smell of stale smoke lingered in the air, and actual smoke gathered at the ceiling, forming a thin, grey sheet of killer smog. The stench of sweat, the salty sea air and the sweat of a hard day's labor and being out at sea for far too long, and the booze-ridden breath in the air assaulted his nostrils. Any normal person would have vomited by now if they had just caught a whiff of it all from the outside, he was sure of that.

Hands in his pockets, he walked up to the L-shaped bar, lightly brushing against a few of the bar patrons on his way. He heard a few grunts and mumbled curses in his wake, but he didn't spare them a second of time. He sat himself down on one of the stools between two muscular men who were large enough to nearly invade his space. Sparing them brief glances, he could see that they were twins. Shaved heads, the same jawline, though one had a short beard while the other was clean shaven.

Egret tilted his head forward ever so slightly and tipped his hat by its brim. Peering from underneath it, past his curled bangs, he looked around the dimly bar. There were dozens of unsightly people scattered throughout. He could see two large groups, one gathered around a female dressed in blue, all of them sporting the same Jolly Roger somewhere on their person, and the second group was gathered around a single male, taller than all of them, laughing loudly and chugging his booze from a mug that his large mitt was wrapped around almost completely.

Another group was gathered around a woman who didn't look much older than himself. Light blue hair cascading down in light waves, framing her pretty face and rather ample cleavage. She had a nasty scar going down from her right shoulder that marred one of her breasts and it disappeared under her dark blue corset that she wore.

He saw potential all around.

He made his way to the bar and sat himself down one of the few empty stools, which happened to be between a couple of large individuals with shoulders so broad and arms so large that he had a bit of a time trying to sit down, being not so small himself.

He heard them both grunt at the same time and he smirked. Glancing to either of them, he took in their appearances. Both of them had oblong heads and square jaws, the only defining facial differences were that the one on his left had a thick mustache that went to his jaw line and the one of his right had mutton chops, despite having a shaved head like his twin.

Then he saw the tattoos. To his right, he saw 'Bull' in black and to his left he saw 'Bison' in red.

_'Wonderful...'_ Was his train of thought at the moment, _'I get to deal with the cattle brothers.. Sigh, at least it's for a good cause,' _That was his reassurance to steel his nerves for what he was about to do next. A glass of water was set down in front of him and he grabbed it. In one quick motion he spun in his chair and and smashed the glass object in to Bison's nose, a sickening crunch mixed in with the sound of the shattering glass and the splashing water.

Egret hopped out of his chair and hopped forward. The stool he had just been sitting in was shattered and the wood shards were scattered throughout the bar.

Egret turned around and was greeted by the sight of the brothers up from their stools and facing him, and looking none too happy.

"Ya piece a shit!" Bull growled out. Bull, the mustachioed brother and Bison, the brother with mutton chops, turned in sync and popped the knuckles of their right hands and then their left hands.

"Yer gonna pay for that… with blood!" the Bison followed up. Blood was leaking from his nose ironically enough after his brother's attack, but he didn't seem to mind at all. Egret took his thoughts as fact when Bison fixed his own broken nose with a few sickening cracks. He wiped his blood spattered hand across his face, streaking it with bits of blood and he growled.

Egret took a step back. All eyes were on him, waiting for his next move.

He smirked.

"I'm quaking in my boots…" He said as he feigned fear, bringing his hands up and pretending to cower before their anger. The two brothers growled, gritting their teeth and veins popped up on their foreheads. The two of them took a single step forward, and Egret's hands shot behind him.

"He's got pistols!" One man on the male Captain's side shouted and many shot up from their seats.

In a flash, Egret withdrew a pair of wood and metal flintlock pistols and took aim at the twins…

_Click!_

He pulled back both hammers. Tables shook and the legs of chairs grinded across the wooden floors and glasses fell over and were struck together. A symphony of chaotic noise filled the bar and then all went quiet. Several of the bar patrons were tense, hands behind their backs and at their sides and wrapped around the handle of their own pistols. Others hand their hands firmly wrapped around the hilts of their swords. They were ready to attack at any moment…

"Good reflexes," Egret complimented them all. Instead of keeping both of his weapons trained on the twins, he spread his arms open and pointed his flintlocks toward the two Captains. Their respective crews stood up in their defense, and the two Captains narrowed their eyes at the man who dared to threaten them. The woman shouldered a modified flintlock with ornate designs and a longer than normal barrel. The male Captain shouldered a weather-beaten cutlass and his lips warped into a sneer.

"Do it…" The man said.

"If you've got a death wish," the female added.

Egret chuckled and he tipped his head forward to hide his eyes and his expression under the shadow of the brim of his hat, "… Let's rumble!" He exclaimed suddenly.

**Bang!**

* * *

"You've returned," Mai stated bluntly, watching as Egret exited the bar at a jogging pace. Just as he turned toward her, a man was sent flying out of the window, narrowly missing Egret.

She took a moment to watch the bar through the window. It was a sea of people, tangled limbs and thrashing bodies. They were throwing punches and kicks if possible, flailing wildly to hit anyone that they could. Cutlasses were being held aloft, held off by one or several people so that a deadly blow could be struck. Several hands brandished pistols and they too were held back, some were forced to fire up at the ceiling. She could see a woman dressed in blue and a large man at the center of the crowd pushing people aside, being drawn in to fights briefly and delivering a blow or two to end it.

Mai turned back to Egret, looking at him with her same even expression, "Was your venture successful?"

"Not really," Egret sighed, "We're moving on. Be quick about it." Mai nodded her head without any objection. She wrapped one arm around her large item as she passed by it and lifted it on to her shoulder without issue and jogged after Egret.

Several people burst through the front doors of the bar, tearing off portions of its front wall and the brawl poured out on to the streets. The two Captains jumped out of the fray, knocking away anyone near them if that person happened to be a member of their respective crews.

"Damned bastard! Destroying my drink like that!" The male growled, slashing at the air once out of sheer frustration, "That was perfectly good rum… Gone to waste! Ahh!"

"My clothes are soaked…" The woman murmured, giving off an air of rage that she was not expressing outwardly. She tugged at her corset and huffed. Many of the men on the ground scuttled away out of terror.

The two of them whipped their heads back and forth, looking in every direction possible.

"He won't get away!" They shouted in unison. They turned to face one another and they nodded their heads in silent agreement.

* * *

"What is your next plan of action?" Mai asked, running alongside Egret. The white haired man kept his eyes forward and his hands stuffed in his pockets. He didn't reply, "Angering those pirates have lessened your chances of a successful search by a slight degree, though they were not ideal from the beginning."

"I know what I'm doing," Egret replied, "I've done this twice before… It's worked out in the end."

"I was informed of your previous record – Several hundred thousand belli in property damage from both escapades in the previous years. Several dozen civilians were hospitalized," Mai said this and Egret merely snorted at the fact – He wasn't denying it, "Successful, yes. But, the probability of yet another venture, with the same actions being taken, being successful for a third time -"

The girl with the ruby red eyes was silenced by a hand covering her mouth. Egret did so without breaking his steady pace. He cleared his throat before he spoke, "Why fix what isn't broken? Savy? Understand that? Nod your head…" Mai did just that. Whether she was following his orders or she truly understood, he did not know, but he wasn't too keen on taking his hand away at the moment. The silence was very appealing to him.

"I know what I'm doing, okay?" He said and Mai nodded her head again. Egret opened his mouth to speak, but looking ahead for a moment he didn't and instead stopped them. He took his hand away from Mai's mouth and he placed it on her back, gently leading guiding over to a place near the bar, "Stand there. Don't move."

"Is this our next destination?" She asked, taking in the appearance of the bar. It was relatively the same as the last, save for the color of it and the inside was different as well.

"Indeed it is. I shouldn't be long," He told her before entering the bar. Mai watched his movements from the window, a few patrons giving her odd looks all the while, but she didn't react. He walked up to the bar and sat himself down at the far end, leaving very little of him visible. She saw no movement for a short time before the bartender approached him…

Mai murmured to herself while she watched, "Enters bar. Observes surroundings, searching for possible candidates and weapons in the case of an emergency – knowledge of one's surroundings is vital. Waits to be approached…" She stopped as the bartender poured an orangish liquid into a simple glass, "Orders non-alcoholic beverage as to avoid inebriation and lower chances of impaired judgment."

The large man Egret had seated himself by moved his lips, "Intoxicated patron judges and insults him, followed by a sudden witty retort and then attack from the bar patron," The man turned his head and his slack body language tensed then. An arm clad in green swung and the glass in their hand shattered against the back of the larger man's head, spilling the contents on to him, "Incite skirmish. Avoid initial attack…" Egret came into view as he fell back and rolled just as the larger man swung, aiming to hit Egret from behind. His arm passed over Egret's nose.

Mai watched as an unknown patron was sent flying over the bar counter and crashing in to the wall. "Agitation. Incites the rage of other patrons, using their intoxication to his advantage in order to better assess skill sets…"

Egret stood up and kicked one table over, spilling the food and drinks on to some of the pirates sitting there and knocking two the ground. The large man attacked and Egret was quick to grab a chair and swing, smashing it against the man's shoulder with enough force to knock him over. Others were rising out of their seats, their bloodshot, blurred and angry sights set on Egret.

"Inebriation of other bar patrons lowers chances of assessing their true skill. Seemingly not a hindrance, but a real factor. Initial success chance seventy-three percent, adding this factor – chances reduced to sixty percent," Mai stated as she watched all hell break loose. Egret was lost in the sea of bodies as the brawl broke out, "Chances of second outing success steadily decreasing..."

Egret burst through the doors and several pirates were on his coattails. He made a swift turn around and took a single step back when one of his opponents lunged at him with a sloppy, wild punch. Egret placed a hand on the man's back and gave him a light push that sent him face first into the dirt. He winded the second with a punch to their gut, and took off his hat before headbutting the third in the nose. He fell to the ground holding his nose and swearing like the sailor he was.

"Later, fellas, hope you don't meet me on the open seas!" Egret said, giving them a salute and then the bar just as the brawl spilled out on to the streets, "Let's go, Mai!" He called to her on his way past, no bothering to stop. The girl with bluish-grey hair didn't mind. She stood up, straightened out her dress and grabbed her item before taking off at a sprint after him.

Catching up to him, she gave him a curious look, "What's with that look? I got something on my face?"

"… Are you going to follow the same procedures as your previous two attempts? If so, at this current rate, your chances for success will decrease more and more, and it is only a matter of time before you are recognized, then the fighting will start before you start it."

"Is that all you have to say?" Egret asked.

"For the moment, yes."

"Do you remember what I told you before? My question that was my answer?" He asked.

There was brief pause, and Mai said, "Why should I fix what is not broken? Those were your words, but I must -" Once again she was silenced by his hand covering her mouth.

"You're here to observe. If I want your statistics, I'll ask. If I want your opinion, I'll ask. Understand?" Mai didn't make a sound, nor did she move at all, "Nod your head, Mai," Egret told her and she nodded her head, "Good."

He took his hand away, but he wasn't welcomed with silence, "I apologize if I am annoyance to you, but my primary objective is to observe and to make sure that operations go smoothly. I am merely offering you my analysis of the sit-"

"You don't get to talk anymore," Egret stated bluntly, placing his hand over her mouth for a third time.

* * *

**The Second Attempt...**

"Aaaaaah! - Ow!" Egret screamed as he was thrown through the bar window and out into the open street, scaring some of the prostitutes and drunken civilians lumbering around in the night. He rolled to a halt and stopped on his back, sprawled out and staring up at the black, starless sky while chaos ensued inside of the bar.

Mai appeared in his field of vision and leaned down. She opened one of his eyes wider and his eyes shifted toward her, "Responsive," She said at that moment, letting him go.

"It'll take a lot more than that to do damage to me," Egret told her as he stood up and dusted himself off.

The fight started to spill out on to the street and several people went for Egret, and were dispatched quickly.

"Will we be moving on?" Mai asked, delivering a straight punch to a taller man's chin as he tried to attack her. He was knocked on to his back.

"Yep," Egret replied, jogging away.

* * *

**A little later...**

"Aren't those the pirates from earlier, Captain Egret?" Mai asked. She and Egret had taken to the roofs when the mobs of people angry at Egret started to join together on their hunt for him. They had been cornered and stopped at nearly every turn and forced to change directions. She and Egret were currently sitting on the edge of one of the tallest buildings in Falrow, a five story building directly in the middle of the island.

Egret tipped his hat and squinted. He could see the same Male and Female Captain's from the first bar leading a couple dozen pirates down the street.

"...Yep," He replied.

"Should we take action? If they persist then your already dwindling chances will take a substantial drop… To zero percent, Captain," Mai stated.

"Cut it out with the Captain stuff," Egret said, slightly annoyed. Would she ever stop?

"I… apologize," Mai said after a short pause, "I did not think you would mind so much going by your official -"

"It's not official. Call me Egret, call me Landa, you can call me some stupid nickname for all I care…" He stood up and shoved his hands in to his pockets, "But don't call me Captain, got that?" He glanced down at Mai, and she stared back him with that same unblinking gaze he had not grown used to…

It was becoming a bit creepy now.

Mai tilted her head a bit and she asked, "What is a… nickname?"

Egret sighed and he motioned for her stand up, "We'll talk on the way," He said to her. Without another word Egret walked to the edge of the building and jumped off. Mai calmly walked to the edge and saw Edgret waiting for her on a rooftop below, very few pirates in the immediate area.

Mai took a moment to look toward the horizon. The sun was slowly rising. She jumped down as well.

* * *

**September 13th. Before Dawn.**

"Egret, sir, I must inform you that you're very rapidly approaching the point of no return – The percentile I previously mentioned that will ultimately lead to your failure before you attempt to execute your plan."

Egret sighed. He bowed his head and tipped his cap, "Mai… C'mon now…"

"I am only trying to assist you, Captain," The monotone girl replied.

"Don't call me, Captain… Not right now," He snapped, glaring at Mai from underneath the brim of his cap, his red peeking through the shadows that covered his eyes.

He sighed and his demeanor quickly changed, "And trust me. They say the third time is the charm, too," Egret said with a smile on his face. He gave the girl a thumbs up and flashed a reassuring smirk.

Mai stared at him with a blank expression. She said, "...You are correct in your use of the phrase, but I doubt two failed attempts will have any effect on another independent va - Mm…. Mm mmphm mmm?" Mai was silenced by Egret's hand being clapped over her mouth, and all of her words turned into muffled nonsense.

"Just… Just wait out here. I'll be right out," Egret told her. He took his hand away and Mai opened her mouth to speak.

"No!" He said, leaning down so that he was eye to eye with her. He put his finger to his lips, "Okay? I'll be right out. Don't talk to any strangers. Don't go with any strangers. Don't say another word, okay?"

Mai stared at him, unblinking. It was slightly unnerving…

"I am… confused. You tell me not to speak, yet you ask me a question I am meant to answer. Is this…" Egret grabbed Mai by her shoulders and led her over to a nearby bench and sat her down. He groaned out of frustration and he turned on his heels.

"I'll be right back!" He called back.

"I try to be optimistic and then I just get statistics…" Egret sighed.

Egret stuffed his hands in to his pockets, put on his best sneer and stepped in to the bar.

* * *

The bar certainly had a cozier feel compared to the rest. The smell was just as bad - Stale smoke, old beer and the musk coming off of the men and woman Pirate patrons. But, nonetheless, Egret did find it comfier. Red was the theme here, as far as he could see. Red cushions on the bar stools, dark red tables so they were easier on the eyes and dark wood chair and a lighter brown floor. Simple wood walls covered with random wanted posters, old and new. A little patchwork here and there.

Egret stood at the door, hands in his pockets and head bowed so it was harder for the rest to see his face. From underneath the brim of his hat, he could see the rest of the patrons. They weren't the rough and tough types from the rest, they were shadier looking - Suits, sunglasses. Guns were on the table beside stacks of Belli. He received sidelong glances and scowls, which he took in strides.

For now, he didn't see anyone promising.

He slowly approached the bar, making sure not to bump in to anyone on his way. He sat himself down on an empty bar stool with his back to the counter.

"What can I get ya?" The bartender asked. Egret turned his head. The man was rather tall, a stubbly beard around his square jaw. Dull, black eyes and black hair cut short that

"Water's fine… Thanks," Egret replied and he heard a snort before he heard footsteps moving away from him.

Egret tipped his hat a bit, "Bartender… Scratch that. I'll take a couple of bottles of… Ya got sake?" He asked.

"Here," The bartender answered, setting down two long necked bottles and a short glass for him. He looked at Egret with narrowed eyes, "Take it outside, Landa," the man told him sternly. The bartender grabbed Egret's shoulder with his tattooed hand and squeezed, "Whatever you're planning on doing, you had better Take. It. Out. Side. Got it?"

"Heh. Sure thing, Sho," Egret replied. The bartender nodded and went to serve the rest of the patrons. Egret popped the cork free from one of the bottles and poured himself a glass. He sipped from it. He didn't go through his normal process.

He didn't need to.

The lights in the bar flickered.

"Ah, damn…" He heard Sho curse, "Freakin' lights..."

The lights flickered out in front of Egret and darkened most of the couch area across from him. Some people stumbled out of the darkness. Egret sipped from his drink, set it down on the counter and he looked to the darkness. The lights flickered on and flashed. There was still one person there, sitting directly across from him.

The lights went dark once again. Egret slowly reached for the open bottle, despite the liquid still in his glass. He smirked…

The lights flickered on once again and this time he saw a glint…

"Smart… You've been waiting…" Egret said. He raised the bottle and a grin spread across his face as he said, "Come at me then!"

* * *

**And End of Chapter 1.**

Mai Rose - **The Amazing Blue Fox**

**I liked it. I thought it was an alright intro chapter. I am Accepting OCs. 7 Crew members and, at the moment, indefinite numbers of the Marines. Everything that you'll need to know will be on my profile. I hope it's not too bad, the form... And by bad I mean long.**


	2. Meeting the Monster

**Beginning A/N: **Hey there guys.

I want to start this off by thanking everyone who has submitted an OC so far, be they crew members or Marines - The support is very much appreciated :)

If I haven't gotten back to you about your character and whether they're accepted, then they're still under consideration.

I'm still looking for characters. There's a deadline for the crew members, and that is February 14th. If you submitted a character that you didn't like or I didn't like, you're more than welcome to try again. If you have any questions, do ask :)

With all of that stuff out of the way, I hope you enjoy.

**A/N 2/10:** Now with an actual description of the Blue Moon, which I forgot... Geez.

* * *

**Chapter 2 **\- Meeting the Monster.

"Come at me!" Egret exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face while he had a wild look in his eyes.

His new foe crossed the short distance in an instant, the steel of their sword gleaming under the flickering lights as it was unsheathed.

Egret used the few seconds he had to pick up the still sealed bottle and he smashed it against the bar counter and swung in an arc, splashing them with the alcohol. Small shards of glass scattered around them and alcohol dripped on to the floor.

No one dared to breathe. All eyes were set on the stalemate.

Egret's head was tipped upward, he was looking down the bridge of his nose at his newest foe. It was a woman, only slightly shorter than himself, he'd wager at 5'9" or somewhere around that height. Her hair was light red, her skin pale, and her deep blue eyes were set in a fierce glare directed right at him. He couldn't see much of anything below the neck due to his predicament…

The cutting edge of her sword was resting against the underside of his jaw. The curve at the tip of the blade he could feel resting in the bend of his neck…

Egret had the sharp, jagged ends of the bottle pressed against her neck as well.

"Hi," Egret said, greeting her with a smile.

"Tch," She made a noise and Egret could feel the pressure of the cutting edge. It had drawn blood, if the new warmth was any indicator.

"Eager to die, eh, Red?" Egret asked, "Bleeding out or Immolation…" He said this and his free hand swept across the bar counter, igniting the head of a match. He held it up and slowly moved it toward her, but kept it at a safe distance, "Your choice."

"The alcohol," She growled. She was covered in it. One arm came up and wiped away what little was on her cheek, but she could still smell it, "Strong stuff."

"I felt like treating myself after a long night, what can I say?" Egret replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What the hell did _I _say?!" It was Sho, and he was pissed. A vein was throbbing in his forehead and he stamped over to them. He stopped and he shouldered a modified blunderbuss. He tapped the metal barrel against his shoulder and his eyes went back and forth between the two of them, "Egret!" Sho barked, "Take it outside! Otherwise I'm going to give my walls a new coat of thick red paint!"

* * *

Per Egret's promise, and Sho's threat of a gruesome death, their impending fight was taken outside. Egret kept the jagged bottle to the swordswoman's neck and she kept the curve of the sword's tip against the underside of his jaw. They moved in step with one another, never breaking eye contact.

"You've returned," Mai stated, watching as Egret and the swordswoman slowly made their way to the middle of the street. She took the object from her back and stood it up beside her, "Am I authorized to use lethal force?" She asked, eyeing the stranger with an intense, unblinking stare.

"No, not yet," Egret told her. He tilted his head slightly down, as much as he could anyway without the sword's cutting edge going any deeper into his jaw and this swordswoman wasn't giving it any slack, "I want to talk to Red here a bit more."

"Very well. I will observe," Mai stated.

Egret chuckled. '_You do that, Mai. You do that,' _He thought. As annoying as she could be at times, she was good to have around to chip away at the tension. Egret set his sights on the red-headed swordswoman.

"What's your name, Red?" Egret asked, "Or… do you like my pet name for you?"

"It's Mikan," She replied, "Going to give me yours? I might be kind enough to carve it into your grave marker."

"...Mikan… Not exactly threatening, but… it works for you," Egret stated, ignoring her question and her death threat. The match Egret had been holding had burned down to the tips of his pointer finger and thumb at that moment and he snuffed it out.

"Aye! I see you've found the bastard! Excellent job, Mikan!"

From above, the male, came crashing down behind the swordswoman, kicking up a large wave of dust that washed over them. It was blown away by an unseen, by them, force. Egret and Mai had used the cover of the dust to jump back and put some distance between themselves, the Swordswoman and the new arrivals.

They were greeted by the sight of the male Captain shouldering his weathered cutlass and the female Captain shouldering her modified flintlock pistol. He could get a better look at all of them now under the light of the neon signs.

Mikan smiled brightly and turned to the man. She bowed and said, "Thank you, Captain Barclay."

The male captain, Barclay, stood a couple heads taller than Egret, easily seven feet, the tallest one among the Pirates there. Broad shouldered and broad chested. He had a dark tan. His face was mostly covered by his thick, bushy black dark red beard, though his grinning mouth and gleaming white teeth with a single gold one in there were visible. His hair was covered by a black bandana with what Egret could only assume was the Captain's Jolly roger - The side profile of a more monstrous looking skeleton with sharp teeth and it was grinning.

He wore a thick, dark orange coat with gold trim. The simple. white shirt he wore left some of his burly chest bare. A red sash was tied around his waist, where the sheath of his cutlass hung. Dark green pants and black boots.

The woman was just shorter than Egret. A black corset with blue lace was wrapped around her chest, keeping her chest bound and her midriff exposed. She wore a pirate Captain's hat, also marked with her Jolly roger - A skull and crossbones, with a crosshair on the skull's forehead. His eyes landed on the scar that went from her shoulder down to her breast and disappeared underneath her corset - That detail remained in his mind from before.

White arm warmers that went from her shoulders to her wrists. Slim brown trousers and knee-length black boots. She had two belts crossed over her waist, both with two flintlock pistols hanging from them. He could see a short dagger hanging from the back as well. Even if someone managed to get close, she had a back-up plan.

Then there was Mikan. She was taking off a short, red jacket, he assumed where most of the alcohol had been splashed before. She had on a black tank-top underneath that. A red obi sash was wrapped around her waist, her sheath underneath and against her hip. Something a kin to a large loincloth hung down to her knees, it was dark blue with red trim. He could see black spandex covering most of her thighs, ending at her knees.

Barclay patted Mikan's head and he stepped forward. The man grinned from ear to ear and he asked Egret a simple question, "Any last words?"

Egret dropped his broken bottle weapon and he cleared his throat. Even after doing that he didn't talk. He adjusted his coat and he straightened his hat. He stuffed his hands in to his pockets, and then, he said, "Davy Back Fight."

Silence.

"Wha… What?" Barclay asked, at a loss for words.

"Davy Back Fight," Egret repeated.

"A Davy Back Fight is a competition between Pirate crews where crew members, symbols or other items such as food or supplies are wagered in competition," Mai explained.

"What she said," Egret said, patting Mai on the head, "If I win, then I'll take one of your crew members, not your flag, or you, or any of your supplies, I just want one specific crew member,' His eyes shifted to Mikan, who glared back, and then he shifted his focus back to Barclay.

"If you win, I and my friend here will join you. From there, I'll accept whatever punishment you… Or she," His eyes went to the female Captain, and she glared back at him just like Mikan did, "Decides to dish out."

"Bah… You've issued the challenge, so I get to pick what I want in way of a challenge," Barclay replied, "... I'll want to take a look at your vessel. Even the dinghy you must be piloting could be worth some belli."

Barclay shifted his focus to the weapon on Mai's back, "Lass. Show me what's under the cloth," He ordered.

Mai looked to Egret, and Egret nodded back.

"Very well," Mai replied. She stood the object up beside with one hand and with the other she pulled away the cloth around it. Jaws dropped and eyes widened, "Roughly 9.8 in height. The blade is 5.5 feet in length, fourteen inches tall and the thickest point of the blade is five inches," Mai explained.

Beside her was a battle axe nearly twice her height. The majority of the blade was dark grey in color, while the outside edge was silver in color. The head of the axe was squared with a hard-right angle, but the end of the axe closest to hilt curved

"I named it Battalion," Egret stated, "Because it's the equivalent of a Marine battalion. It's more of a monster than I am," He said with a light chuckle at his own joke.

"I'll be damned…" Barclay murmured in awe, "That's quite the weapon… Strange it's in the hands of such a dainty thing though," He said, looking down at Mai who stared back at him.

"Mai… Is a lot tougher than she looks," Egret replied, glancing sidelong at her, "Trust me."

Mai nodded her head, "I am… as tough as nails," She said. She turned to Egret, "Did I use that expression correctly?"

Egret just petted her head without saying a word. He set his sights on Barclay and asked, "What will it be?"

"Ahahahaha!" Barclay burst out laughing, "Well, if nothing else, I want that axe! I could care less for you, boy! Eustan, grab us a table and chairs!" He ordered.

"Aye, sir!" One of his crew members exclaimed before running back inside with another of his crewmates in tow.

"You cannot be serious?!" The female Captain snapped, walking past Barclay and withdrawing her long-barreled flintlock which she immediately pressed against Egret's forehead, "He made his wish loud and clear! I'm just going to kill him!"

"Oh no you're not!" Barclay barked, anger in his tone, "Not yet… I want that axe in my arsenal!" He said, a grin spreading across his face, "That, and the Davy Back Fight is an honored tradition! Even if it's being used for a stalling tactic…" Even while grinning, he glared daggers at Egret.

"As Pirates ourselves, we must uphold these traditions!" Barclay said as he closed the short gap between them, hands on his hips and coat waving in his wake. He had quite the confident grin on his face. Egret remained stoic, hands in his pockets all the while, watching him as he made each step. Barclay stopped when there was only a small space between them.

"The game will be arm wrestling! Simple! Quick! No need to drag this out any more than you are already…" Barclay explained.

The woman let out an exasperated sigh and she rolled her eyes, "Fine. You boys have your pissing contest, you can take what you want when you win and then Ill be the one to take his life," She said, shouldering her weapon and keeping her eyes trained on Egret.

"And here I thought I was smooth with the ladies…" Egret murmured, tipping his hat and smirking toward her.

"As a cactus," She said, glaring at him and spitting at his feet.

"You wound me, madam!" Egret

"I'll do a lot more than that…" She growled out.

At that moment Barclay's crew members emerged and one set a table down between their Captain and Egret. The second set a chair down behind either of them and Egret and Barclay sat themselves down.

"Don't mind my wife," Barclay stated, chuckling. He looked over his shoulder at her and he chuckled a bit more when she smirked. He turned back to face Egret and he popped the knuckles of each hand, "Yillan can be quite the handful."

"I'm sure…" Egret murmured. He had just met the woman, but she seemed like a nightmare to be married to. Barclay was a stronger man than him in that regard.

"Let's get this over with! I want that axe, Ahaha!" Barclay laughed as he rolled up his sleeve.. He set his arm on the table elbow first and popped all along his large forearm and closed his hand only to open it again, "You sure you want to do this? This is your last chance to back away!" He said.

Egret rolled up the sleeve of his right arm just Barclay had and he grabbed the man's hand, "Nah," Was his answer.

Yillan approached them, casting a glare Egret's way. She placed her hand over theirs, "Three…" As she started to count down, their respective crews started to gather around them to watch their match, "Two…" Mai stood behind Egret, watching intently, "One… Begin!" She threw hand in to the air and it began.

"Hmm!" The two men grunted. Cracks spread through the wood underneath their elbows. Veins popped up on the backs of their hands, their temples and their forearms, but neither hand moved.

Barclay slowly took the lead, but Egret pushed back and the stalemate continued, back where they started.

Egret gritted his teeth. A drop of sweat formed on his brow and crept down his face. His bicep expanded and he slowly started to push Barclay's hand closer to the table.

A grin spread across Barclay's face, and he pushed back.

"C'mon, Captain! Break him!"

"Pretty incredible he's managed to last this long…"

"No kidding, but Captain Barclay'll win in the end!"

Mikan watched them, her brows furrowed. A bead of sweat slid down her face from her temple. She wiped it away and glanced at her sleeve curiously. Why was she nervous? Captain Barclay was physically the strongest man she had ever met. He had never lost in an arm wrestling match or any other test of strength that she had seen him competing in. Why was she nervous? Was it because her loyalty was on the line?

She focused on Egret. Was it because of him? Why would he make her uneasy? Mikan looked him over, trying to figure out, but she could not place just what it was that put her on edge. She steeled her nerves and put on a determined face, "Come on, Captain! This guy has no idea who he's messing with!"

"Haah! … You're strong!" Barclay said, a grin stretching across his face. It had been a long while since he had struggled this much! He had come all this way from the Grand Line to find a strong opponent, and he had found one! He almost didn't want this Davy Back Fight to end.

Almost. He wanted that axe!

"What's… your name?" He asked, "You know mine! Show… some… courtesy!" He paused between words and emphasized his last by pushing forward, his biceps expanding.

Egret bowed his head as he hand was slowly pushed back toward the table. He gritted his teeth. His free hand came up and gripped the edge of the table with such strength that wood cracked and splintered underneath his fingers. He tore off a chunk within seconds and he crushed it in his hand. He pressed his fistful of splinters against his knee instead…

"Egret… Landa," he said, his twitching lips turning up in to a smirk.

Barclay's grinning face warped into one of shock. His eyes widened, his mouth opened. It was not just him, but his wife did the same.

"What?!" She gasped.

"Hrrgh…. Haa…Aaaahh!" Egret let out a battle cry and he powered through. Leaning over, their stalemate ended as the back of Barclay's hand was slammed on to the table and the wood table couldn't withstand the force. It was shattered by the impact and wood shards and splinters were sent flying in every direction.

"Ca… Captain…"

"What?..."

"No… no way…"

Barclay's crew was in utter shock. Barclay himself was in utter shock, but he was not looking at his arm. He was looking at Egret. His eyes followed the white-haired Captain as he stood u and straightened on his coat, and his hat. As he dusted himself off…

"I'll be damned," Barclay murmured.

"Egret 'The Monster'," Yillan stated, "Why does it seem like the dead ones never stay dead?" She sighed.

"You know what they say about people who assume, right?" Egret asked, tipping his hat to her, "No body… No traces… That moniker of mine means many things. I earned it for many things… One being that I am one tough bug for the Marines to squash."

"Hehehe…" Barclay chuckled lowly. He took his hat off and ran his hand through his short, unruly black hair.

Egret pointed to Mikan, "I pick her. I could use a good swordswoman in my crew," He said.

"Forget it!" Yillan snapped, her shock morphing in to anger.

"A deal is a deal," Barclay sighed, putting his hat back on his head.

"Captain!?" Mikan gasped, "You can't seriously expect me to follow this bastard!?" She said, unable to process what she was hearing. She pointed an accusing finger to Egret, "He was going to burn me alive!"

"I put out the match, geez…" Egret murmured.

"How can I follow someone like that?! I refuse to call him my Captain! I refuse!" Mikan snapped.

Barclay shook his head and patted her head, "You don't have a choice. It's tradition," He placed his hand on her back, "Now get. You're not a member of this crew any more!" He gave her a shove in Egret's direction.

Mikan stumbled and she turned on her heels, "Captain! Please!" She begged. Egret grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Barclay folded his arms over his chest, "Egret Landa… Davy Back Fight!" He exclaimed, "I challenge you!"

"Oh for the love of…" Yillan groaned, "Just shoot him!" She snapped, smacking her husband on the arm several times, "I'll do it!"

Her comments were ignored by both Egret and Barclay. Egret just stared back at the man, eyes half-lidded and bored, "... Why?" He asked.

"Crew members lost in a Davy Back Fight can only be won back through a Davy Back Fight, and I want my swordswoman back!" Barclay stated, popping his knuckles.

"Oh, Captain…" Mikan whispered, smiling. She tried to wrench her arm free of Egret's grip, but it was like a vice, '_It's his right arm too… After all of that, he's still not budging. He's strong, for sure,' _She thought.

She never saw Egret wince when she tried to free herself, '_Ahh… Aww man, I think I tore something...' _

"Come on then!" Barclay insisted.

"Nah," Egret replied.

Silence…

"I'm a pirate," Egret stated, "Screw traditions. I don't want to give her back," He took aim with his flintlock and started to back away with Mikan.

"Bastard!" Mikan growled. She cursed him with every foul name under the sun.

Barclay shook his head as he said, "I both admire and curse your actions right now…" He and several members of his crew started to advance on Egret and Mai. Yillan hopped up on to one of the adjacent buildings and took aim with her pistol.

"Mai, Battalion is fully charge, yeah?" Egret asked.

"Yes. The dial is fully charged. I have yet to use any energy so far," Mai replied. Egret nodded along while he stuffed Mai's wrapping cloth underneath his arm in a ball.

"What are you.. Hrgh! .. Talking about?" Mikan asked.

"Remember when I said that there's more to Mai's Battalion then meets the eye?" Egret asked. There was no response, but he continued anyway. He grabbed on to Mai's free arm, "Well, it has an Impact Dial on the end there. It charges up with each hit that Mai makes with Battalion," He said.

Mai lifted Battalion up and a smirk tugged Egret's lips.

"She beat up quite a few people on our way here… twenty-six to be exact."

"Tch…" Barclay's lips warped into a wicked sneer, "You've got nowhere to run to, Egret!"

Mai lifted Battalion. She brought it down. The bottom collapsed with a _click. _

**BOOM! **

The explosion of force was incredible. The three of them were rocketed into the air with the battle axe leading the flight. A cloud of smoke and dust was left in their wake that washed over Barclay and the rest of the grounded pirates.

Yillan fired a couple of shots after them, but it was no good. They were already far out of her pistol's looked down at the ground, "Barclay! We need to move!"

"Aye!" His voice came from within the smoke cloud, loud and clear over the chorus of coughing and wheezing. **Clap! **The smoke cloud was dispersed by Barclay's clap and looked up toward Yillan, "I've got an axe and a swordswoman to collect!"

* * *

"Welcome to your new home, Red," Egret said.

Battalion's Impact Dial had carried them quite a ways and put a great deal of distance between them and Barclay and Yillan. Unfortunately, it had also carried them a bit off course and forced them to run.

The three of them had run as fast as they could - Egret and Mai more so while Mikan struggled to get free while they ran away. They had finally stopped and Mikan was unceremoniously dropped on to her front on the wooden docks. The wood creaked underneath even under her light weight.

"Bastard," She spat, looking up at Egret's back. This was an opportunity. It was rare someone with laughable abilities became a pirate captain. The seas were a dangerous place. She had just witnessed her Captain lose to this man in a test of strength, and that had instilled some fear within her.

Fear she forced to the back of her mind. She couldn't let that get in her way. One misstep and she was sure to die.

Egret turned to the red-headed and glaring swordswoman and gestured to the ship, "This is the Blue Moon. You're a member of the Wolf Pirates now, Red" He said.

"The Wolf Pirates, really?" Mikan asked, glaring between Egret and the ship, "Tch… Originality must be your sea prism stone, yeah? And my name is Mikan! Cut it out with that stupid nickname!" She snapped.

"I like it… so I'm going to calling you Red… okay, Red?" Egret said with a cheeky smirk on his face, not taking her glare for an answer, "As for the name… I thought it fit."

Mikan took in the sight of the ship for herself. A large ship, fit for several people already. It's hull was painted with dark blue and off-white horizontal stripes, with a Wolf-shaped skull with crossbones behind outlined in black on the side facing them. The figurehead at the front of ship was a mermaid of pure white, with a few splotches of discoloration that looked grey and even purple-ish, something she imagined came from time braving the seas and sitting the sunlight. It had three tall masts, all of them dark brown wood with webs of climbing ropes to ascend. The sails were up and wrapped tight, but they were white as well. At the very top, in the crow's nest, she could see their black flag flying. It had the same insignia that was on the side of the ship.

There was some weathering, bits of patchwork that she assumed had been painted over, with how bright the paint looked in comparison to the rest. It wasn't new to the seas, she could tell that much. She counted nine openings for cannons on the side facing them, a decent number for a vessel of its size.

Captain Barclay would have been in for quite the surprise if he had actually won

"It's an impressive vessel… Nothing compared to Captain Barclay's Goliath or Captain Yillan's Archerfish, but it's still impressive," She stated.

"Glad you like it. Lucky for you, we've got plenty of spare rooms right now, so go ahead and stake your claim," Egret told her, "We've got some sailing ahead of us tomorrow. It's off to Damascus."

"...You're going to participate in that tournament, aren't you?" Mikan asked.

"Yep," Egret replied.

"So is Captain Barclay… some of his top fighters are going to get involved… and I plan to be among them when that happens," Mikan stated, placing one hand on the hilt of her katana. She set her dark blue eyes on Egret, "As _tempting _as your offer is, Egret Landa," Mikan said, venom dripping from her words, "I refuse to follow that Jolly roger! I'd rather cut myself down than fight for that flag!"

Egret turned toward Mikan and he tilted his head back, looking down at her down the bridge of his nose. He tipped his hat and he exhaled through his nose before he said, "And what is that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"A crew member exchanged through a Davy Back Fight swears fealty immediately. As of this moment you are disobeying a command from your Captain - A punishable offense," Mai stated, taking Battalion off of her back and standing it up beside her. The tugged on the cloth, and Mikan bent her knees, taking her ready position with her hand already on the hilt of her katana.

The wind blew through and Egret placed a hand on Mai's.

"No fighting," He said in a stern tone, "This is non-violent resolution time… For now anyway," Egret explained.

Mai immediately stopped, but Mikan was still tense.

"I'm forced to follow you because of a tradition among Pirates… but it's easy just to say screw tradition! I am a pirate after all!" Mikan said, a fire burning behind her eyes. She unsheathed a small portion of her katana, yet neither Egret nor Mai made a move against her. She had sworn to follow Captain Barclay, a man who had saved her! She owed her life to him!

"I respect Captain Barclay and Captain Yillan… I don't respect you," Mikan stated, "If you want my loyalty, my respect, then you had -"

"Shut up," Egret groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What?!" Mikan snapped.

"Shut up. Be quiet. Stop Talking," Egret said, running his hand down his face, "How many more do you want me to say it?"

"Why you…" Mikan growled, her right eye twitching.

Egret reached behind his back and brought out a flintlock pistol, "Mai. Non-violent resolution time is over," He stated.

"Understood," Mai replied. She fully unwrapped Battalion and wrapped her arms around the shaft. She slammed the weapon blade first in to the dock, the cutting edge splitting the wood and sinking lower, but she brought it back up so that it was level.

Mai unsheathed her sword and readied herself. If she was going to be shot, she would much rather take a bullet from the flintlock. That shot she could survive if it didn't pierce through any vital organs...

"I'm not in the mood for any speeches about loyalty, got that?" Egret said, "I chose you because you're a swordsman. You have skill, and you're still young so you have potential to grow stronger. You're also ballsy, a quality I like in my crew members. Not because I like you, or anything," Egret stated, "I also don't dislike you… This is just my business, Red. Nothing personal."

Mikan glared daggers at him.

"You're here because swordsmen are handy. They're useful to have around… Now, if you want to keep up with this mutiny, so be it. You'll die. There are plenty of other swordsmen and women. I'll probably find a couple good candidates at the Damascus tournament."

Egret nodded to her, "It's your choice, Red. Fight with me… Or die to me."

Mikan didn't reply.

"I'll say it again… Option A… or Option B," Egret said, pulling the hammer of his pistol back, "What will it be, Red?"

Mikan bent her legs more as she spread her feet apart. Another breeze passed by them and she adjusted her hold on her sword. Upside down in her right hand, she held it at a downward angle with the cutting edge facing forward. She placed the palm of her left hand on pommel.

"One Sword Style…" Mikan said lowly.

Egret sighed. Mai pulled back on Battalion's bolt to load her next shot, and Egret said, "So be it. On my signal, Mai."

"Understood," Mai replied.

'_I have only one chance… One misstep and I'm dead!' _Mikan thought. She pushed off of the ground, '_I can survive the shot from his gun! I have to get rid of that girl first before that monstrous weapon tears me apart!' _She launched herself toward them, a plan quickly forming in her mind as her world started to move much, much slower.

"How about option C?" A female voice asked

'_What?!' _Mikan thought as she slid to a halt. Her legs kept moving and she fell on to her behind in the split-second.

**Bang! Bang! **

Egret never saw it coming. Two loud booms resounded through the still, quiet air of Falrow and two holes appeared in the front of his jacket.

"Ahh!" Egret stumbled back. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a figure jumping down. He gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to speak.

**Bang! **

His head whipped back and his hat flew off. He took one step back and that one step sent him falling in to the black waters below.

Yillan shouldered her smoking gun. She was smiling as she said, "Annoying bastard." That was all. Barclay stood beside her, arms crossed over his broad chest. His eyes were closed. He was frowning hard…

"Don't be so sour about it," Yillan told him, "He said it best, 'I'm a pirate'. Traditions and all go out the window when you look at it that way," She said, quoting Egret in a mocking tone and she holstered her pistol at her hip. She walked over and reached for Battalion that Mai was still holding on to.

Mai didn't put up a fight. Yillan took Battalion and handed it off to Barclay.

"You're right," Barclay grunted, shouldering the weaponized battle axe. He didn't have to like it though.

"Mikan, let's go," Barclay commanded, he and Yillan already turning around and walking away, "You can't follow a dead Captain."

The red-headed swordsman turned to her Captain, mouth open to speak, but no sound came out. She looked over her shoulder at the water and she closed her eyes for a moment. Then she turned back to her Captain and his wife, "Yes, Captain."

The three of them walked away.

Mai did not give chase. She didn't even look back. She slowly sat down on her legs and neatly folded her hands in her lap. She didn't say a word. Her eyes kept trained on the ripples and bubbles disturbing the black water under the docks. She sat there in silence.

* * *

**Ending A/N: **Overall I like how this chapter came out :) It felt a bit slow at first, but that's probably because I'm not making the characters kick the Hell out of each other yet, but I think it all worked out.

It showed Egret does have some reputation, he's not some new guy. He's also a hard-ass if that scene with Mikan toward the end was any indicator.

And Yes, I did use the Davy Back Fight. That's from the Foxy Arc, the one before the Water 7 Arc, in case you forgot or didn't know. While the whole filler arc was fine and dandy, I thought the Davy Back Fight was something interesting. Why not, right?

Barclay, Yillan and Mikan are all mine.

I had to come up with Mikan on the fly when I didn't get any swordsmen or woman that liked... To be honest, I didn't get many at all. I was surprised.

**And Egret was shot... Is it over? Pft... Hehe.**


	3. To Damascus

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait, if anyone is still reading :) Got lazy... That's the big reason for the wait, the rest is that, ya know, life and stuff is going on. All that.

The poor thing is that this was on the verge of being done for _so long. _So long in fact that I have this whole story planned out for the most part - I spent so much time doing Nada. Nothing. Zip. About it.

Sigh, any reviews and feedback would be much appreciated.

As for OCs - Just Marines... Marines with some kind of cybernetic enhancement, which would fall under 'Weapons'. By that I mean, think Franky and all his neat gadgets.

* * *

**Chapter 3 **\- To Damascus

Mai sat on her legs, hands resting in lap. Her weapon had been taken from her and she hadn't batted an eye. It had been a couple of minutes since Egret fell and the ripples kept going. They had slowed considerably, but they still disturbed the usually calm water at the ship docks.

The Captains and Mikan had left seconds after Egret disappeared beneath the water. Mai had stayed. Her ruby red eyes trained on the water…

The deep blue water.

A hand burst up from the water and grabbed on to the dock. The fingers tapped rapidly against the wood and Mai was there quickly. as calm as ever, lifting Egret out of the water. The moment his head came up, he was sputtering and spitting, taking in breaths.

"Pfft! Tch! Pft! Pft!... Ah, I hate salt water," Egret groaned.

Mai held him up at eye level with her, not saying a word. Egret swung his legs planted his feet on the dock, so she let go.

He stepped away from her and shook his head around wildly, whipping water from his hair like a dog would when wet. Egret slicked his hair back, though it fell forward a bit, and he then spit on the docks.

He tossed his hat down and started to unbuckle and unbutton the rest of his coat.

"Your weighted clothing does have use after all," Mai said. She looked down at her feet and there was Egret's hat. She picked it up and spied the hole in the center. From it she plucked out a crumpled bullet.

Egret didn't respond. He shrugged his greatcoat and it hit the docks, bending the wood underneath it. Loud _pops _and _cracks _were heard and fractures formed. Mai gently set the hat down and lifted the coat without issue. She held it out, the front facing her and she pulled two more crumpled bullets from holes in the cloth.

Egret was left in a black t-shirt, tight and hugging his muscular frame due to the water. Metal gauntlets were attached to his forearms. Two brown, leather belts were crossed over his waist and from them hung four holsters total with a flintlock pistol in each one. Two at Egret's hips and two behind his back.

Two knives were holstered and attached to his pants legs.

"Wet gunpowder… Soaked to the damn bone…" Egret grumbled as he unhooked his belt and let that fall on to the docks next, "Now I have to make sure half of my equipment doesn't rust!" He detached the gauntlets and set them on the ground next.

Mai watched as her Captain undressed until he was down to his dark green trousers, "Captain Egret?" Mai asked, trying to get his attention.

"What?" He asked, stretching.

She stared intently at the hat for a moment before looking at the back of his head, "The gun user, Yillan. What was your course of action if she had shot you in an unprotected area?"

Egret stopped moving.

Mai watched the back of his head, unblinking.

"Captain Egret? A portion of your face was uncovered during that altercation."

"..." Egret remained stock still and didn't say a word. He didn't make a sound.

"Captain Egret?"

"..."

He walked past her. He stopped and he spoke, "I know what I'm doing, Mai. Don't ask that question again, understand?"

Mai turned to face his back, "Cap -"

"Do. You. Understand?" Egret interrupted her, his voice firm and harsh. He turned his head to look at Mai with half-lidded eyes and Mai silently nodded her head. Egret didn't say a word either. He just turned his back on her and collected his things.

* * *

**The Blue Moon.**

"Ah! Ahh! Gentle!" Egret hissed, rapidly tapping his foot against the deck of his ship. His weighted clothes had protected him from the bullet for the most part, not allowing them to pierce his skin, but the impacts of each bullet had left him with three nasty, and rather painful, welts. One of his forehead and two on his chest.

"Ice-packs secured," Mai stated with one last pull on the white bandages she had wrapped around Egret's torso to make sure they were taut and fully secured.

Egret let out a sigh and leaned in to the ice pack he had held against the welt on his forehead, "Sweet relief," He said.

"Strange…" Mai murmured, looking at him from behind.

"What is?" Egret asked as he swiveled around on the barrel he was sitting so he could see Mai a bit better. She still had that same blank, unblinking look on her face, though, he could tell, this one was slightly more inquisitive.

"You've sustained greater injuries than this," She said and Egret opened his mouth to speak, but Mai beat him to it, "I have knowledge of every recorded injury you have sustained in the line of duty. Your tolerance for pain is extraordinary in comparison to the average human's. Having suffered such serious injuries that would leave any normal human-being crippled, it is strange to me that bullet welts are causing you such discomfort."

Egret just stared at her for a moment and he sighed. It was a fair point. He knew better than to try argue with her logic.

"What can I say?" Egret said, shrugging his shoulders, "When my bones get broken, I'm in a fight. I get cut, stabbed or impaled - I'm usually in a fight. Whenever I get shot… What do you think I am doing then, Mai?"

"I assume that you are in the midst of a heated ba-"

"Yes, in a fight," Egret said, interrupting her, "... The best answer I can give you is that I wasn't in a fight then, not a real one at least," Was the last thing he said before going quiet.

Mai slowly nodded, "An acceptable answer. I am not entirely sure that I understand your logic, but I have learned expect and accept such from you, Captain Egret."

"Thanks...I guess," Egret said, murmuring to himself. The two of them sat there in silence, Mai staring at him. Egret stared at his bare feet, having taken off his boots to let them dry out as well. He sighed. He hated that he had to ask this.

"Where's Battalion? Do I want to know?" Egret asked.

"I am… unsure. Do you wish to learn that Battalion was taken away by Captain Barclay? Or is that something I should have refrained from telling you?" Mai asked.

Egret sighed yet again and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He was silent for a few seconds before he started to make a clicking noise. Over and over again, a short pause between each _click, _he kept making the noise.

"...I apologize," Mai stated, bowing lightly to him, "I should not have allowed such weaponry to fall into the hands of an enemy."

"..." Egret was silent. He watched her while she remained bent at an angle bowing to him. He sighed and he stood up, "We'll get it back."

"Battalion is a powerful weapon, Captain E -"

"Exactly why we _are _getting Battalion back," Egret interjected. A ran a hand through his silvery hair and he met Mai's gaze, "It's not just for Battalion actually," Egret stated, earning a tilt of Mai's head, "We're getting the axe back, like I said, but I have my reasons for going to Damascus besides that."

"I am afraid that I do not follow. Please elaborate," Mai asked.

"It's pretty simple. A tournament is held in Damascus every year - For the last two years I've been going there to recruit new members for my crew," Egret said, holding up two fingers for Mai to see, "I never said I did my recruiting during those bar runs. It was all just a part of the master plan. I made sure to make enemies here, and there's no doubt in my mind that a lot of them will go to the tournament in Damascus. They'll want to fight me, and in doing so will show me what they can really do in a fight, fighting me or fighting to get to me."

Egret let out a breath and inhaled, "Get it?" He asked.

"This was you plan all along," Mai stated, and Egret nodded his head.

"And the swordswoman?" Mai asked, "Is she your priority as well? She is, by Pirate tradition, a member of your crew."

Egret sighed and he shook his head in the negative, "Honestly, no. Any recruiting done during my bar runs is just… Extra, I guess. Mikan can join or she can go on her merry way, I don't much care either way," Egret replied with a shrug of his shoulders. He was somewhat interested in the Swordswoman, he couldn't deny that. She did have skill, and the potential to be greater.

* * *

**The Goliath...**

Mikan sat on the railing of Barclay's ship, _The Goliath. _A massive ship, weather-beaten and scarred, but that only served to make the beast of a vessel look that much more intimidating. Dark brown wood with a coat of red paint, some patches more faded than others. At the head of the ship was a monster's head carved from wood. Mouth gaping as if it were roaring, eyes painted red while the rest of it was still dark brown. A side profile of the head was flying high above her head on the ship's black flag.

She looked at her reflection on the water below, her brows furrowed.

'_When I see that man again, I'll...' _As much as she wanted to cut that man apart - The victory in battle, and possibly even the kill, was reserved for Captain Barclay. That did not mean she could not fight that bastard beforehand, to restore some of her honor as well. She had been used a distraction, and then told she was expendable, something that did not sit right with her.

"A little training is order! I can't sit around sulking!" She told herself. Mikan steeled her resolve

**BANG!**

"Holy hell!" Mikan screamed, nearly fall off of the wailing from the sudden shock. Heart racing, pounding in her ears. In the heat of the moment she pushed off of the railing and went in to a back-handspring. Landing on her feet, she whirled around and took her sword drawing stance, hand on the hilt of her katana, "What's happening?!"

"Yarararararara!" Loud laughter filled the air.

Mikan deadpanned. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Barclay was standing in the middle of the ship with Battalion in hand. He was laughing! Mikan inspected the modified battle axe in his hands. He was holding on to something on the pole of the weapon while there was a thinning trail of smoke coming out of the top.

"What the hell was that?!"

It wasn't just Mikan yelling, it was Yillan as well as she jumped on to the deck of the ship and landed next the Swordswoman.

Barclay stopped his uproarious laughter and shoulder the mighty axe without a problem.

"Ah, I was just uncover all of this beastie's secrets! Egret Landa himself said that there was more to this than meets the eye, and I plan to find out what he was talking about," Barclay told them. He raised the end of it a bit higher and pointed to the round, silver end with a spiral pattern to it.

"That there is an Impact Dial, and a strong one!" Barclay exclaimed.

"We know about that. What was that boom then? What else did you find?" Mikan asked as she and Yillan drew closer.

Barclay lowered it and flipped out a small piece of the pole so that was horizontal to the rest of the weapon, "That's a bloody firing bolt, that is! Hahah!" He laughed, "This thing is one big, high-powered rifle!" He pointed to the end of it wear there was a hole in the center.

Barclay pointed the top of the axe to the sky and grinned from ear to ear as he said, "Cover your ears!" Everyone was quick to do so, knowing the kind of noise it could make. Barclay pulled back on the bolt once and a large, bronze bullet casing was ejected from near the top of the axe's pole.

His grin just a bit more, and he pulled back on the bolt a second time.

**BANG!**

The thunderous explosion that came out was almost to deafen the ones nearest Barclay even though they were muffling the sound. A bright red and orange burst flashed at the end of the axe for the briefest of seconds and a ring of smoke was already expanding from the muzzle.

Mikan and Yillan felt hot air hit their faces. They looked toward night sky while slowly taking their hands away.

"That's incredible," Mikan said in awe.

"I want it," Yillan stated bluntly.

"Eh?" Barclay turned to her flabbergasted. Yillan walked right up to him and grabbed Battalion, trying to take it away from him, "Now hold on, Woman! What're you doin'?!" Barclay asked, pulling it back towards him. He had the advantage in physical strength, but his wife did not give easily. It was a stalemate, the two of them sneering at one another with their foreheads pressed together.

"Don't you have your own ship to command! Begone!" Barclay barked.

"I'll do just that! With this weapon at my side! Now hand it over, Oaf!" Yillan replied, giving a strong tug.

Barclay pulled Battalion back toward him despite Yillan's efforts and her with it. He said, "

"Cut it out!" Mikan shouted, grabbing the two Captain's by their sleeves and pulling them apart, Barclay still holding on to Battalion.

"Bah, crazy woman!" Barclay snapped.

"Greedy oaf! It might not be official, but I am still your wife! Everything that's yours is mine too!" Yillan told him. She wrenched her arm free of Mikan's grip and jabbed a slender finger in to his burly chest, "Hand it over!"

Barclay reeled back, but he recovered and leaned down to press his forehead against hers, the two of them glaring in to each other's eyes, "You really think such words are gonna sway me, Woman!? Egret took one of _my _crew members! My daughter at that! I'm owed this weapon!"

"She's my daughter too! I've been around you since you took her in! And I'm the one who shot him! The weapon should go to me!"

"You want it for the gun! The rest of its arms would be wasted on you! Can you even lift it?!"

"Are you saying I'm weak, Barclay!? The amount of times I've saved your hairy arse from being food for the Sea Kings is proof enough I can carry my own weight! Your's too, Oaf!"

Imaginary bolts of lightning clashed and Barclay's crew members slowly backed away, even some of his stronger ones were beginning to sweat. All of them, except for Mikan. The arguing had gone on for long enough.

"CUT IT OUT!" Mikan roared even louder. She tore the two of them apart, huffing and puffing. She glared at the two of them, "Enough! Please..." Mikan huffed out.

"Hmph… I still want it," Yillan said, folding her arms. That wasa high-powered rifle like no other, and she wanted that in her arsenal.

Barclay just grunted without giving a real response, "Before I was so rudely interrupted," He said, earning a sharp glare from Yillan, but he kept talking, "I was saying that there's much more to this beast of a weapon. Watch," Barclay told them. With great strength, his muscles bulging against the tanned skin of his forearms, Barclay pulled the axe blade off of the shaft.

"Hey?!" Yillan shouted. How could the oaf just break it like that?!

Barclay didn't reply. Still grinning, he turned the blade for them to look at, "Take a look," He told them. Mikan and Yillan leaned in and their eyes widened. Some of the axe had been hollowed out. It was enough that several large bullets had been fitted inside.

Barclay sat the blade down and let a few of the bullets fall out. He picked up one and in fit into his grip perfectly, "It's a magazine!" Barclay laughed, "My guess is that they built the loading mechanisms into the blade somehow. These bullets… This is much, much more than any musket could handle"

He tossed it to Yillan and she put to her ear, and shook, "... Packed with gunpowder… It weighs quite a bit. I'd say that one of these has the explosive power of a cannonball," She stated, impressed.

"Aye, and has the piercing power of the Marine's new high-powered rifles," Barclay added. He grabbed the axe blade and he said, "There's more to it!" And he popped off the silver cutting edge from the steel grey portion and let the girls have a peek inside of the hollow.

"Blade Dials!" Mikan gasped.

"Aye…" Barclay said, his grin growing just a little bit wider. There were at least a dozen thin green dials were lined up end to end inside of the hollow of the cutting edge, "There's a trigger on the shaft. One press and they activate… Cuts through stone like a hot knife through butter, she does! Yararararar!" The bearded Captain went into uproarious laughter. He pointed over his shoulder out on to the ocean where a sharp stone was sticking out of the water.

Upon further inspection the two women could see that it had been cut and the angled side was completely smooth.

"When did you do that?!" Mikan and Yillan asked in unison. They had come running at the sound of the gunshot, but had had no idea that he had done such a thing!

"You were busy with all of your makeup," Barclay stated, pointing to Yillan first, earning him a glare from his wife.

"I never hear you complaining, Oaf," She said lowly.

"And you were busy sulking! Lost in your own head… Or you were on the toilet, I can't recall," Barclay laughed. Mikan's face lit up red and she growled...

All was calm after a few seconds.

Barclay started to piece Battalion back together as he said, "That's all I've found so far when it comes to this monster's features. In the right hands, this beast could take on… well, a marine battalion! It could probably annihilate a couple of their Battleships if the wielder wanted to!"

"This thing is packed with weaponry," Yillan stated, somewhat in awe of it all. She cupped her chin and rubbed it, thinking while watching Barclay reassemble the weaponized axe, "It's pretty advanced. I'd say even the best weaponsmiths would have a tough time trying to piece this thing together."

"Why would a Pirate have a weapon like this?" Mikan asked, bending over with her hands on her knees to inspect all of the parts there, "I understand that this Egret Landa guy is kind of a big deal, but still."

Barclay nodded. He replied, "Aye, you're both right in what you're saying. You don't see much like this out on the seas, not in the hands of pirates. It's usually the World Government leading the way when it comes to advancing technology and weaponry, all to strengthen the Marines."

The three of them stood in silence. They shared a look and Mikan lightly bit the tip of her thumb.

"Did he…?"

"If we're thinking along the same lines, then that would explain why he's been missing," Yillan stated.

Barclay grinned and said, "Aye," He took a cigar from one of his coat pockets and put it between his lips. He lit it with a match and inhaled deeply before he exhaled, "That crazy bastard stole from the World Government! He must've been hiding out this whole time!"

"Mikan, you said he was looking for a crew? That's why he took you?" Yillan asked, and Mikan nodded, "Then he picked a good time to come back. With all of the people heading for Damascus, there will be a lot of strong fighters there. All for Egret to try and recruit."

"It's a good thing I took this then!" Barclay exclaimed, letting out a large puff of smoke, "Letting a beast of a weapon like this go is just insane!"

"He's going to confront us in Damascus," Mikan said, her eyes screwing shut and she bit down on the tip of her thumb until she drew a thin drop of blood.

"It gives him more reason to fight us in Damascus!" Barclay corrected her. He shouldered the axe, fully rebuilt with not a screw leftover. He took the cigar from his mouth and let out a barking laugh, a cloud of smoke being let out of his mouth, "Yarararara! You should be happy, Mikan! Thrilled!"

The red-headed swordswoman slowly nodded as she said, "We haven't had a proper fight. Maybe this is good…" She mumbled to herself. Egret Landa had threatened her life and treated her like an expendable object - He said so himself. His words to her still rang clear in her ears. That Davy Back Fight was nothing more than a way to stall for time…

Mikan steeled herself and folded her arms under her chest.

Barclay chuckled, "Alright. That fire in your eyes is why I brought you aboard, Mikan!" He exclaimed.

"We're off -"

* * *

"- to Damascus," Egret stated, standing up from the barrel that was his seat, "At the break of dawn."

"Understood," Mai repeated.

Egret turned his back to Mai and walked toward the the front of the ship where his room was located. Dimly lit by a single, oil lantern on his desk against the right wall. He had no windows. His room was spartan in terms of decor - A simple, dark wooden desk and chair, and a cot against the left wall with several cases underneath his bed. His coat was hanging on a rack in the corner to his right, his hat on his bed and his equipment in front of it.

He sat himself down at his desk and leaned back on the back two legs, putting his feet up. He put his hands behind his head and he closed his eyes.

"No dreams…" He sighed.

* * *

And that's all.

If there are any questions about your characters, I will answer them to the best of my ability without any major spoilers.

If you want to submit a character, again, I am only looking for Marines and Warlords at this time. Please, please ask questions if you feel you need to.


End file.
